Luggage-carrier



F. T. WENTWORTH.

LUGGAGE CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.28. I916. RENEWED DEC. 8.1919.

1,328,863 Patented Jan. 217, 1920.

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this description, to

the running board to our-run STATES PZFENT OFFICE.

' FRANK 'I. WENTWORTH, 0F BLOOMFIELD, NEW J ERSEYI.

LUGGAGE-CARRIER.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Application filed October 28, 1916, Serial No. 128.148. Renewed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,424,

and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luggage Carriers, of which the following is a specification, reference-being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The invention relates to luggage carriers and more particularly to a type thereof adapted tobe mounted upon the running board of an'automobile in a manner to be capable of being quickly removed therefrom.

Luggage carriers of the type to which my invention relates are especially adapted for use in holding dress suit casesor similar articles of luggage and are generally used when an automobilist is touring; under which conditions there is ordinarily insuflicient room in the tonneau of the vehicle to accommodate such articles. Carriers of have suitable capacity, must project beyond the edge of the run ning board, and under ordinary conditions it is not desirable to have such carriers permanently fixed to the running board. Luggage carriers made in accordance with 'my invention are so constructed that they may be readily and quickly secured to, and removed from, the running boar without mutilating said running board and without the use of tools. It is constructed of two independent parts, one of which is slidable in relation to the other, so as to permit the extension or contraction/of the carrier to give it variable capacity to meet the requirements at any particular time. The two parts are provided with interlocking means which not only permit such adjustment, but, 7

when the carrier is applied to the running board, prevent relative movement of these parts. The said interlocking means are held in the locked position by the clamp for attaching the carrier in its entirety to the running board.

The construction of the carrier is such as to space any luggage mounted thereon fromv an extent to protect the bottom thereof from water which may accumulate upon the running board.

Luggage carriers are used inpairs, each pair consisting of a set of irons so that the carriers may be so spaced apart upon the running board, as to accommodate them to diflerent lengths of bags or other articles of ag The dlmenslons of a luggage carrier made in accordance with my invention are such that when it is not in use it may be readily stored under the seat of the vehicle.

A further advantage of'a luggage carrier made in accordance with my invention is that both parts thereof may be made of cast malleable iron, require no machining beyond drilling and tapping for the clamp screw, and require no assembling operation beyond the insertion of the said clamp screw. I g

The construction of each set is such that it may have applied thereto a waterproof covering to protect the luggage or if desired it may be used with straps alone.

The invention consists primarily in a luggage carrier embodying therein a base having a loop at one end thereof and a bracket provided with an opening therethrough at the other end thereof, a clamp screw carried I such other novel features of construction and combinationof parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto ap-- pended.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure "l is a perspective view of a por tion of the tonneau of an automobile showing a luggage carrier made in accordance with my invention, applied thereto;

- Fig. 2 is a detail viewv of one of the sets of irons showing ordinary straps applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a section of a running board showing one of my luggage carriers appli thereto and the use of the waterproof cover in connection therewith; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the waterproof cover removed from the irons.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

' 0 with a lock nut e.

and passin In the embodiment of my invention shown 1n the drawings,

I have indicated at a, the running board of an automobile, upon which luggage carriers made in accordance with my invention are adapted to be mounted. In the accompanying description, I will refer to the construction of a single set of irons, itbeing understood-that said sets are used in pairs so spaced apart, as indicated in Fig. l as to permit dress suit cases, or other articles of luggage, to be engaged adjacent ghe 1opposite ends thereof in a manner to rm y tudinally of the running boardand swaying laterally of the car.

Each set of irons comprises a base 5 having the inner end thereof upturned, as at c, and provided with a loop 0 adapted to receive a. strap orother securing means for retaining articles of luggage upon the carriers.

The outer end. of said base iron is provided with. a bracket 03 having a set screw 6 adapted to engage running board a. v To prevent loosening of the carrier through vibrations of the car or of the running board, I provide the screw The head 7 of the bracket is provided with an opening 1* extending therethrough belowthe plane of the bottom of the base I) g, the thic ness of which is less than the depth of said openingf. The outer end of the slide end 9 having a loop 9 adapted to receive a strap or other means for binding the article of luggage to the iron.

The under face with a plurality of grooves b and the upper face of the slide'g is provided with one or more cooperating tongues 9 Said tongues and grooves upon the base and the slide extend for the entire width thereof so as to present cooperating elongated bearingsurfaces which will prevent movement of the outer end of the'slide transversely of the running board.

By havinjg the number of tongues a less in number than the grooves b the slide 1 may be adjusted transversely 'of the base I) so as to vary the width'of the carrier and accommodate article's-of luggage of different dimensions.

The under side of the base 5 adjacent the upturned end 0 is provided with a downwardly projecting rest h, the depth of which corresponds, substantially with the thickness of the slide g, thus affording a support for the base adj acent the inner end thereof when the slide 9 is extended to its full extent.

While the loops cg may have straps such as 2' permanently connected therewith as shown in Fig. 2,

I prefer to use, with said irons,

a waterproof covering which will hold them against creeping longi- The end flaps f at the under side of the .through said opening is a slide g: is provided withan upturned of the iron 6 is provided of the articles of luggage and side flaps j each provided with suitable straps adapted to enter the loops 0g which straps are provided with buckles or other securing means. Each of the side flaps j is provided with oppositely disposed end flaps 7' which are adapted to fold over the top flaps'j and across the end of the articles of luggage. each end of the cover are provided with cooperating fasteners as shown in the drawing.

The operation of the herein described device is substantiallyas follows The slide 9 is passed through the opening f and the bracket 6 is passed over the edge of the running board of an automobile. The

set screw 6. is then set against the under side of said running board to hold-the iron in'position and the luggage is placed upon the irons. If it be found that the loops in the base and the slide of the irons are too "widely, or not sufliciently widely separated,

to receive the articles of luggage the slide 9 is'adjusted longitudinally of the base I), the set screw being released to permit the tongues g to clear the tongues b. When the slide 9 has been properly adjusted, the

set screw is again .set upon the running board drawing the base firmly against the slide, the cooperating tongues and grooves upon said base and said slide firmly interlocking in a manner to cause theibase to firmly clamp the slide in position. The lock nut e may then be set suificiently hard to prevent vibrations When the'parts are so fixed upon a running board, they will be held firmly in position and will not become displaced by the ordinary vibrations due to the passage of the vehicle even over rough roads. The elonloosening the screw.

gated cooperating tongues and grooves will prevent any play of the slide. A

This construction. will also permit both. the base and the slide to be made of cast metal requiring no machine finishing and no assembling operation excepting that incidental to the mounting of the screw in the bracket.

If it is desired to cover the articles of luggage it is merely necessary toform the covering about the luggage inserting the straps carried by said cover through the loops upon the base and upon the slide and draw the cover tight upon the said articles. If it is not desired to use such a cover, the irons may be supplied with straps, one of which contains a buckle and the other of which is adaptedto cooperate therewith. These straps are attached to the loops in the base and the slide, and in securing the luggagein place are passed-over the articles of luggage and drawn tightly thereon.

It has been demonstrated in actual use, that irons made in accordance with my invention will hold articles of luggage such as suit cases firmly in place upon the running board; and that there is little or no likelihood of the irons becomin so loosened as to permit their becoming displaced.

When the irons are not in use, they may be readily removed from the running board and stored about the automobile or in the garage.

It is not my intention to limit the inventlon to the precise details of' construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that the general design of the base of the slide may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described. the invention what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is 2- 1. A luggage carrier embodying therein a base having a loop at one end thereof, a

, bracket having an opening therethrough at the other end of said base, a clamp screw carried by said bracket and adapted to engage the under side of a running board, a slide adapted to pass through said opening in said bracket and having a loop at the outer end thereof, said base having a plurality of grooves upon the under side thereof and sald slide having a tongue upon the upper side thereof adapted to enter difierent for holding articles of luggage upon the carrier.

2. A luggage carrier embodying therein' a base having a loop at one end thereof, and a rest on the under side thereof adjacent said loop, a bracket having an opening therethrough at the other end of said base, a

clamp screw carried by said bracket and adapted to engage the under side of a running board, a slide adapted to pass through said opening in said bracket and having a loop at the outer end thereof, said base hav-- ing a plurality of grooves upon the under side thereof and said slide having a tongue upon the upper side thereof adapted to enter different grooves upon said base, whereby the distance between said loops 'may be varied and the clamping action of said screw will hold said base and said slide in their adjusted position,- and means cooperating with the loop in said respectively for holding articles of luggage upon the carrier.,

In witness whereof I hereunto afiix my base and in said slide signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,this 18th day of October, 1916. FRANK T. WENTWORTH.

Witnesses:

CLABICE FRANCK, JUDITH PARDEE. 

